Viewers of Wheel of Fortune were left stunned Monday night when a tense Bonus Round cost contestant Michael Soltis a brand-new Jeep \u2014 and even caused him to blank under pressure. The episode featured three players: Soltis, a union carpenter from Pittsburgh; Eimi Smith from Austin; and LaShauan Swift, a retired Chicago Fire Department paramedic from Chicago. Soltis had a slow start, while Smith dominated early.<\/p>\n
She swept the toss-ups and solved the first puzzle, \u201cAccidentally on Purpose,\u201d building a lead of $9,050. She added another solve, \u201cSleeping Bag of Tricks,\u201d pushing her total to $10,350. Momentum shifted during the Prize Puzzle round. Soltis secured a Wild Card and correctly solved \u201cCan You Feel the Love Tonight?\u201d earning a trip to Africa and boosting his total to $14,690.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
He continued his surge by claiming two of the three Triple Toss-Ups, while Swift finally got on the board by solving one. Soltis sealed his comeback by cracking the final puzzle, \u201cThe Wild Wild West,\u201d with only three letters revealed. \u201cYou got that one quickly,\u201d host Ryan Seacrest commented as the round ended.<\/p>\n
By the end of regular play, Soltis led with $20,240, advancing to the Bonus Round. Smith finished with $10,350, while Swift took home $2,000 and the thrill of fulfilling a lifelong dream of appearing on the show. Despite his strong performance, the pressure-packed Bonus Round proved costly, leaving viewers shocked as Soltis narrowly missed out on the grand prize.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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